Words from Joy--President's Report

 

The Museum at the German School has been through three basic seasons in the last four years.

 

"BR" is the first season--Before Renovation. It was the time when dreams were dreamed, planning was done, and then all was brought together for the season of "DR"--During Renovation. During this time, we were confronted with the details of fundraising, construction, and day-to-day decisions. The NAP Project (Neighborhood Assistance Program) officially closed on September 30, 2011, which brings us to the present season of "AR"--After Renovation.

 

The building is renovated; the collection is cleaned and placed. All is good! It would be a great time to rest on our laurels and pat ourselves on the back for a job well done. But, now in the season of AR, we have come full circle and it is time to dream greater dreams. What will be our future? How can we continue a tradition of 50+ years? How can we answer a mission set out by our organization's charter?

 

If we were to drop a pebble in a pool, the circles would radiate from the center which, in our case, is a wonderfully renovated landmark. Dream with me a little.  Widen the circle of membership, for each new member makes for more contacts and more visitors. Recruit in ever-widening circles for more docents for the Museum. They are the key that helps keep the doors open. Recruit constantly for new contacts to our ever-changing board of directors. New blood is the lifeblood of all successful endeavors.

 

Spread the word to make our Museum and its mission known in ever-widening circles. Educate the community and our visitors about the wonderful treasures housed there that were gifts of local families who saw the importance of protecting our German heritage. We are now able to have guests at the Museum year round. Perhaps this winter we could also host special events that will be of interest to locals and visitors alike. Lectures on special topics of interest and an evening spent listening to the collection's organs are just two ideas that come to mind.

 

We have much to offer. We are not a place that houses "dusty old stuff". We are a vibrant part of this community, and it will be a dream realized as we expand our ever-widening circles of interest.

 

In closing, let me just say, “We’ll keep the lights on for you.”

 

 

Generous Donations Received

 

Former riverboat pilot Charles E. Rhoads made a donation of $5000.00.

 

Long-time Historic Hermann member Mim Schmidt made a donation of $500.00.

 

Memorial funds amounting to $575.00 were received on behalf of former Hermann resident and HHI member Melba Gehrke.

 

Nine brick pavers totaling $1,125.00 were purchased by Jack Baumstark, Sr.

 

    

 

 

HHI received a two-fold bequest from Ralph Sellenschutter (pictured above) totaling $32,634.71.  He gave $24,475.00 in unrestricted funds and $8,158.71 for building maintenance.

 

Many thanks to these folks and their families for their generous donations to Historic Hermann. Remembering Historic Hermann in wills, trusts, and memorials is a way to be sure that the good work of this organization will continue.

 

 

 

Treasurer's perspective--by Donna Layman

 

The completion of the NAP (Neighborhood Assistance Program) grant has arrived and we have spent all our money! Historic Hermann, Inc. will submit a final report to the State of Missouri on Oct. 31, 2011, and the audit specific to NAP donations and expenditures, due March 31, 2012, will commence. Our board has chosen to use the Washington, Mo., firm of Hochschild, Bloom and Co. to conduct this audit because Hermann’s local accounting firms do not offer this service.

 

I was asked by the Finance Committee chairman, Dave Fagerness, to create a report of simple operating expenses and compare that to the money the Museum acquires from admissions only. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the admissions intake nearly covered our operating expenses this season.  Our gift shop sales more than cover the purchase of new gift shop items and the income from our CDs, donations and memorials allow us to consistently grow our net assets.  We hope these assets will someday be large enough to hire a Museum curator.

 

Historic Hermann's membership continues to grow. We acquired six new members since the last issue of the Guardian. With the addition of the Dierberg Farm, tourism seems to be increasing in Hermann. We are optimistic that our wonderful Museum will draw interest and new members in conjunction with these additional historic activities in town. 

 

Remember, all of your contributions are tax deductible.

 

Capt. Rhoads receives lifetime membership

in Historic Hermann, Inc.

  

  

 

River history came to life during the July visit of retired riverboat pilot Charles E. Rhoads (pictured above). Rhoads spent time during his several day visit touring the River Room at Historic Hermann's Museum at the German School, which features one of the most extensive collections of river memorabilia in Missouri, and telling tales of the five decades he spent on the American river system.

                                                                      

Before speaking to a group of Historic Hermann volunteers and guests, Steve Mueller introduced Rhoads as the foremost living steamboat captain in the nation. Capt. Rhoads then spoke from the heart, without notes, describing his life on the rivers.

 

Capt. Rhoads has ties to Gasconade County. He was born in Pershing, Mo., 92 years ago. He left the area at age 16 to find a job on the river. His journey led him to Washington, Mo., with only ten dollars in his pocket. He found his first job there working with the WPA. Later he joined the navy and spent time on PT boats before returning to the U.S. waterways piloting tow boats. He retired as a master pilot in 1983.

 

During his visit, Capt. Rhoads was presented with a pin and a lifetime membership in Historic Hermann, Inc. He currently resides in south St. Louis, but before he left Hermann, this cheerful and kind gentleman made a generous donation of $5,000 to Historic Hermann. In addition, he has promised to return to the Museum with his own personal river memorabilia.

Steering Committee Reports 

 

Building and Grounds--Chairman, Pete Treis

Bronze donor plaques are now in place on all exterior items. Thanks, again, to our generous donors. 

 

The Museum roof has been painted to help maintain its very good condition. 

 

All 56 windows in the Museum have been scraped of loose paint, primed, and repainted.

 

Clock Winders--Chairman, Jon Layman

We are looking for one or two more people to take on the responsibility of winding the clock every other day for a month each year. If you would be interested in helping out, please contact me at 573-486-2037. 

 

Recently, the clock has stopped between 3:00 and 3:30. The cause is unknown. A committee will be climbing up into the tower to see if they can locate any visible cause. If not, a professional will need to be called in to determine the problem.

 

Finance--Chairman, Dave Fagerness

The financial steering committee is drafting a revised HHI financial statement format intended to accomplish two main objectives: 1) The cash and CD accounts will be shown in two separate groups, one for unrestricted funds and another for funds that are dedicated to a specific purpose, and 2) Income and expense accounts that relate to the actual operation of the Museum will be set apart from non-operational items.

 

Gift Shop--Chairman, Janet Buford

New items have been added to the gift shop that include, dice games and marbles. Kaywos cleaning cloths and books continue to be top-selling items and the puzzles continue to intrigue our visitors.

 

Sales at the gift shop have been strong during Octoberfest and we anticipate the same during the Kristkindl Markt weekends. Remember to include the Museum gift shop when doing your holiday shopping. We have plenty of great gift ideas for everyone on your list.

 

Marketing and Membership--Chairman, Pat Coulter

We want to extend a thank you to the Onckens for affording us the opportunity to place our new sign on the corner of their building at First and Gutenberg. The colored sign should attract the attention of visitors arriving on Amtrak as well as those entering town from the east.

 

A new look is truly visible with the development of the rack cards that are now available. The card provides an overview of each room at the Museum and is certain to entice visitors.

 

 

We have been encouraged by the number of tour groups that have visited the Museum and are looking for ways to expand on that market.

 

Museum Accessions and Displays--Chairman, Donna Layman

The Museum continues to acquire new items. Since our last issue of the Guardian was published, Lois Puchta has generously donated a beautiful pump organ (now located in the Kinder Room Parlor), a dovetailed blanket box and a Victorian-era walnut bed (not yet incorporated into our displays. Look for it next spring!).

 

A 1920s Hermann baseball uniform was donated by Jon Layman, and Ron Holtman of Ozark, Mo., donated two beautifully bound books relating to German history.

 

Historic Hermann purchased a variety of paper ephemera at the J.J. Graf sale, including tickets to the 1879 and 1883 Hermann Fire Co. Grand Ball at the Concert Hall, local business advertising cards and tickets to events featuring the Apostle Band.

 

Volunteer Recruitment, Training and Education--Chairman, Mike Martens

Two recent events sponsored by the Dierberg Educational Foundation, the Country Fair and Civil War Days, presented excellent opportunities to showcase our community and the Museum at the German School. Visitors to Hermann were able to enjoy the many ways that we celebrate living here.

 

The volunteers who staff our Museum do a great job of sharing our history with visitors. But because of changes in everyone's lives, there is an ongoing process of finding new volunteers and replacements for those already working. If you know of someone who might enjoy giving some time to volunteer at the Museum, please let us know.

 

I want to personally thank Hulda Krull, Phyllis Robinson and Audrey Eberlin for their help on this steering committee and wish Hulda well in chairing this committee. I will continue to support the important efforts of this committee.